Decorative element and use thereof

ABSTRACT

A decorative element for a piece of luggage including a plate, which has a visible side and a rear side and has fasteners, and at least one base layer and one covering layer that covers the at least one base layer are applied to the visible side, which layers are non-transparent, and at least the covering layer is of a non-abrasion-proof material and can be abraded by mechanical processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a decorative element for a piece of luggage including a plate, which has a visible side and a rear side and has fasteners. This invention also relates to the use of such a decorative element.

Discussion of Related Art

Decorative elements for pieces of luggage are known and are used to provide the piece of luggage with a high degree of individualization. For example, backpacks, preferably school backpacks, are known onto which decorative elements in the form of stickers provided with designs can be placed by hook-and-loop fastening elements in regions of the backpack provided for this purpose. The degree of individualization that can thus be achieved, however, it is limited since the only option is to swap them with decorative elements printed with different designs.

German Patent Reference DE 20 2015 004 580 U1 discloses a piece of luggage, in particular a suitcase, the container of which has a plurality of layers on its surface, the top covering layer of which initially covers the underlying layers, but is embodied as non-abrasion-proof and through usage as well as mechanical impact, scratches, and the like, is worn away in some regions so that the other layers beneath it become visible, which gives the piece of luggage an interesting visual appearance. But this requires the piece of luggage to be embodied with a correspondingly dimensionally stable surface of the container so that it is particularly suitable for hard-shelled suitcases, but not for soft luggage such as backpacks made of textile material and the like. Also, there is no swappability since the container as a whole is coated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of this invention is to provide a decorative element for a piece of luggage, which offers the user options for achieving a higher degree of individualization.

To obtain the stated object according to this invention, one embodiment of a decorative element has features taught and described in this specification and in the claims.

This invention provides embodying the decorative element, which is plate-shaped and is embodied with fasteners so that it is swappable, with a visible side and applying at least one base layer and one covering layer that covers the at least one base layer to the visible side, which layers are embodied as non-transparent, and at least the covering layer is of a non-abrasion-proof material and can be abraded by mechanical processing. The covering layer of the decorative element according to this invention can be abraded by mechanical processing so that the at least one base layer under the covering layer can be uncovered. Also, the base layer or several base layers positioned under the covering layer can be successively abraded by mechanical processing until finally, the visible side of the plate is uncovered, which is preferably made of a metal such as aluminum.

The at least one base layer that can be uncovered in this way can, for example, be made of a material that contrasts with the covering layer. In addition, between the plate and the first, bottom base layer and/or between successive base layers and/or between the covering layer and the underlying base layer, at least one graphic element can be provided, which in the initial state of the decorative element according to this invention, is not visible because it is covered by the covering layer and possibly at least one base layer and only emerges through intentional mechanical processing or usage-induced scratches and similar damage to the non-abrasion-proof covering layer and possibly also one or more base layers. This achieves a high degree of individualization, which also undergoes constant change until the finally complete abrasion of the covering layer and the at least one base layer.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the at least one graphic element is positioned between adjacent layers, such as either between the visible side and the bottom base layer, between adjacent base layers, or between the top base layer and the covering layer on top of it, and is enclosed between these adjacent layers. In this region, the adhesion between the adjacent layers is reduced and in addition, an edge caused by the thickness of the graphic element is formed, which promotes the mechanical abrasion of the graphic element. It is possible for a single graphic element to be provided, such as a letter or a pattern of dots and the like. It is possible either for only the layer above the graphic element to be removed by mechanical abrasion so that the graphic element is uncovered or for the layer above the graphic element and the graphic element together to be removed by mechanical abrasion, thus uncovering the underlying layer in accordance with the removal of the graphic element. This offers various embodiment options.

Other individualization options are produced by fastening a plurality of such decorative elements to a piece of luggage in a regular or irregular arrangement that is also changeable. For example, it is conceivable to have a set of such decorative elements, which are each provided with a graphic element in the form of a letter and are covered by at least the covering layer. By appropriately arranging a plurality of such decorative elements, it is possible to configure words such as names, sayings, or slogans, which gradually become visible with use or can be made to emerge by intentional material abrasion. This achieves a particularly high degree of individualization, which can also be further increased through simple swapping of the decorative elements according to this invention while keeping the same piece of luggage.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the covering layer of the decorative element according to this invention is composed of a paint layer. Through an appropriate recipe of the paint layer for embodying the covering layer, it is easily possible to adjust the desired low abrasion-proofness. The underlying at least one base layer including any graphic elements can likewise be produced on the basis of paint layers or other layers, for example, enamel layers and the like.

Suitable options for the fasteners of the decorative element according to this invention are preferably those fasteners that ensure that the decorative element is easy to take and remove from the piece of luggage and also ensure a sufficient degree of loss prevention. According to one embodiment of this invention, the fastener is formed by a pin protruding from the rear side, with a clamping piece that can be affixed to the pin so that, for example, the pin can be pushed through a corresponding textile portion of a piece of luggage and on the back side, can be secured by the clamping piece that is slid onto it. In such a case, the decorative element according to this invention can be fastened to almost any correspondingly suitable piece of luggage. Naturally, however, it is also possible to use hook-and-loop fasteners, magnet connections, and so forth.

The decorative element according to this invention is suitable for attachment to and decoration of a wide variety of luggage, in particular soft luggage made of textile materials such as backpacks, sports and travel bags, fanny packs, and the like.

The decorative element according to this invention is especially suitable for use on a piece of luggage with textile strips that have stitched-down loops mounted on the surface of the piece of luggage to form a carrying system of the kind that is used, for example, in modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE), which was originally used in military equipment and has since also come into use in a variety of civilian equipment and luggage. In this case, the decorative elements according to this invention are dimensioned so that each decorative element of this kind is fastened to a stitched-down loop of the textile strip, for example, by pushing the rearward-pointing pin provided as a fastener through the loop and securing it by the clamping piece on the pin. It can also be fastened to an alternative embodiment of a carrying system, which has strips delimited by regularly arranged slots on the surface of the piece of luggage that serve as a carrying system. A decorative element according to this invention can be fastened to any of these strips.

The fastener of the decorative element can be pushed directly through the webbing material of the loops or else the loops are provided with a suitable eyelet through which the fastener can be inserted. Naturally, it is also possible for other openings, for example, in the form of buttonholes and the like, to be provided in the webbing of the textile strip.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the eyelet is embodied as approximately cross-shaped or slot-shaped and with this shape, prevents an unwanted tilting of the fastened decorative element in the direction of the horizontal and/or vertical axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is explained in greater detail below in view of drawings of an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a piece of luggage that is provided with a decorative element according to this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the decorative element viewed from the visible side;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the decorative element according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a decorative element viewed from the visible side;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged partial section view taken along the axis A in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 shows a partial section view analogous to FIG. 5 through another embodiment of a decorative element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a piece of luggage according to this invention, in the form of a backpack 1 here, which is made in an intrinsically known fashion of a textile webbing material such as Cordura. In some regions on its surface, this backpack has attached, preferably stitched-on textile strips 10, which are stitched-down at regular intervals in the vertical direction so as to form loops 11 of equal size of the kind that are used to form a carrying system, for example in accordance with what is commonly referred to as modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,709 A.

Representative of this, a decorative element 2, which is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, is detachably fastened to one of these loops 11.

The decorative element 2 includes a plate, which is square in this case, with a visible side 20 and a rear side 25.

Onto the visible side 20, first a base layer 21 is applied, for example, in the form of a paint layer or enamel layer, onto some regions of which a graphic element is applied, in this case the letter “A,” for example.

Onto this at least one base layer 21 including the graphic element 24, a covering layer 22 comprising a non-abrasion-proof material such as a corresponding paint layer is applied, which is non-transparent and in this respect, at first completely covers the base layer 21 and the graphic element 24 so that they are not visible. But because the covering layer 22 is embodied to have only a low abrasion-proofness, it can be abraded in some regions, as shown in FIG. 2, through usage-induced scratches or mechanical impact, thus uncovering the underlying base layer 21 and/or the graphic element 24.

It is also possible for a plurality of base layers 21 on top of one another to be provided, which are covered by a covering layer 22 on the surface oriented away from the visible side. These can be successively uncovered by mechanical abrasion. The optionally provided graphic element between two layers can also be uncovered or removed along with the adjacent overlying layer.

For fastening, the decorative element 2 has a pin 26 protruding centrally from the rear side 25, with a purchased tip, which is pushed through the webbing material of the textile strip 10 in the region of a loop 11 and is then affixed in a loss-preventing way by sliding a clamping piece 27 onto the tip of the pin. For this purpose, the individual loops 11 of the textile strip 10 can also be provided with eyelets 12 or similar openings, which make it easier to push the pin 26 through and make it possible to establish a defined position.

It is understood that the piece of luggage 1 can also have a number of additional textile strips 10 of this kind to which a number of other such decorative elements 2 can be fastened. Naturally, individual decorative elements 2 can also be attached directly to the actual outer cover of the piece of luggage 1, such as other than to the textile strips 10, or to the belt, shoulder straps, and the like. Corresponding eyelets 12 can also be provided there.

Another embodiment of a decorative element 2 is shown in FIG. 4. A base layer 21 and a covering layer 22 are successively applied to the visible side 20 and a plurality of graphic elements 24 in the form of small dots or discs arranged equidistantly in a pattern are initially covered on the visible side 20 by the base layer 21 and/or covering layer 22.

According to the view shown in FIG. 5, the graphic elements 24 can be applied directly to the visible side 20 and then covered by both the base layer 21 and the overlying covering layer 22.

Alternatively, according to FIG. 6, the graphic elements 24 can also be positioned between the base layer 21, which is applied directly to the visible side 20, and the covering layer 22 and are thus covered only by the covering layer 22.

Not shown in the drawings, but likewise conceivable is the placement of graphic elements 24 between a plurality of base layers 21.

In any case, the graphic elements 24 are positioned between adjacent layers and represent a region between the adjacent layers, such as between the base layer 21 and the visible side 20 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5 and between the base layer 21 and the covering layer 22 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, in which there is less adhesion between the adjacent layers than in the regions in which no graphic element 24 is present. For this reason, the layer or layers on top of the graphic element 24 can be easily mechanically abraded, such as scratched off. This is also promoted by the raised form of the graphic element 24 in the side view according to FIGS. 5 and 6. As a result, either the graphic element 24 itself and the underlying layer can be easily uncovered by mechanical processing.

The graphic element 24 can, for example, be made of plastic and be embodied in a color scheme that contrasts with the adjacent layers.

The decorative elements 2 used for the decoration can be easily swapped and their visual appearance changes constantly due to the only low abrasion-proofness of the covering layer 22 and possibly also of the at least one base layer 21. The underlying and advantageously contrastingly colored base layers 21 and/or graphic elements 24 and finally the visible side 20 of the plate gradually become visible.

Through an appropriate selection and arrangement of different decorative elements 2 with different graphic elements 24, it is possible to form sayings, lettering, names, and the like on the piece of luggage 1 in order to decorate the latter. 

1. A decorative element (2) for a piece of luggage (1) comprising a plate having a visible side (20) and a rear side (25) and embodied with fasteners, the decorative element comprising at least one base layer (21) and one covering layer (22) covering the at least one base layer (21) being applied to the visible side (20), which layers are non-transparent, and at least the covering layer (22) has a non-abrasion-proof material and can be abraded by a mechanical processing.
 2. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one base layer (21) and/or the covering layer (22) are of a paint layer.
 3. The decorative element (2) according to claim 2, wherein a graphic element (24) is positioned beneath a base layer (21) and/or beneath the covering layer (22).
 4. The decorative element (2) according to claim 3, wherein the fasteners include a pin (26) that protrudes from a rear side (25), with a clamping piece (27) that can be affixed to the pin (26).
 5. The decorative element according to claim 4, wherein the decorative element is used on a piece of luggage (1) with textile strips (10) mounted to a surface of the piece of luggage (1) that has stitched-down loops (11) or strips delimited by regularly arranged slots to form a carrying system, with at least one decorative element (2) being fastened to the loops (11) or strips of the carrying system.
 6. The decorative element according to claim 5, wherein the loops (11) are embodied with an eyelet (12) for insertion of a fastener of the decorative element (2).
 7. The decorative element according to claim 6, wherein the eyelet (12) is cross-shaped or slot-shaped.
 8. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein a graphic element (24) is positioned beneath a base layer (21) and/or beneath the covering layer (22).
 9. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners include a pin (26) that protrudes from a rear side (25), with a clamping piece (27) that can be affixed to the pin (26).
 10. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the decorative element is used on a piece of luggage (1) with textile strips (10) mounted to a surface of the piece of luggage (1) that has stitched-down loops (11) or strips delimited by regularly arranged slots to form a carrying system, with at least one decorative element (2) being fastened to the loops (11) or strips of the carrying system.
 11. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the loops (11) are embodied with an eyelet (12) for insertion of a fastener of the decorative element (2).
 12. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the eyelet (12) is cross-shaped or slot-shaped. 